Former Mizzou Pitcher, 13-Year MLB Veteran Announces Retirement

Former Missouri Tigers pitcher Kyle Gibson has called it a career, he announced on the Serving It Up show this afternoon.

“It has been a lot of fun to be around the family a lot more. … That’s where I ended up a couple weeks ago when it turned out that I wasn’t going to get the opportunity that I was looking for,” Gibson said on the show. “It has been exciting being home and turning the page to a new chapter.”

Gibson, 37, started his final season by signing a one-year contract to return to the Baltimore Orioles, but was released on May 20 after multiple bad starts. He then signed with the Tampa Bay Rays triple-a team, the Durham Bulls, before being released at the end of June. He has been a free agent since

Gibson played for the Tigers from 2007-2009, where he was a major part of their starting rotation and helped the team reach NCAA Regional play in each of the years. Inducted into Mizzou's Hall of Fame in 2019, Gibson holds the second-most wins and career strikeouts in Missouri History. 

After getting drafted 22nd overall by the Minnesota Twins prior to what would have been his senior year, Gibson made his major league debut in 2013 and spent seven seasons with the Twins before he was sent to the Texas Rangers for the shortened 2020 season. After bouncing from Texas to Philadelphia to Baltimore, he seemed to have found his groove with the Orioles, posting his most wins during a single season at 15. He returned to Missouri for his second to last season, playing one year for the St. Louis Cardinals.

"I’ve taken the last couple weeks to call and text people who I really wanted to let know (the news) in person," Gibson said. "I’m going to take the next few days and try to write something up to properly thank everybody that needs to be thanked for the last 15, 16 years in professional baseball."

Gibson finishes his career with 112 career wins with a 4.60 ERA across 334 games. He was named an American League All-Star in 2021 while he played for the Texas Rangers and was a Roberto Clemente Award Nominee three times.

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